Program
| Composer | Work | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ludwig van Beethoven | String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 | 1806 |
| Intermission | ||
| Claude Debussy | String Quartet in G minor, L. 91 | 1893 |
About the Ensemble
The Balourdet Quartet, based in Boston, is currently in
residence at the New England Conservatory’s Professional String Quartet Program. The quartet
received the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition as
well as the top prize awarded in the 2021 Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The
group also received the Gold Medal in the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition,
the Gold Medal and Audience Award at the 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and
the Second Prize in the 2019 Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Balourdet appeared in numerous virtual performances for institutions such as the Schneider Concert Series, the New England Conservatory’s First Mondays Series, Music For Food, and Massachusetts Peace Action. The group also curated and performed an educational program for over 500 children in schools across the Michiana region, as well as gave masterclasses through the Fischoff Chamber Music Academy. They have also conducted workshops and masterclasses for NEC’s Preparatory Division, Upper Valley Chamber Music Center, and string students in the Dallas area.
The Balourdet has shared the stage with renowned artists including Cho-Liang Lin, as well as members of the Dover Quartet. It has studied and performed at festivals including the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Robert Mann String Quartet Institute, and Accademia Musicale Chigiana. The Balourdet Quartet works primarily with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory, as well as members of the Cleveland and Borromeo Quartets. The quartet was formed in 2018 at Rice University in Houston, Texas under the tutelage of James Dunham, Norman Fischer, and Cho-Liang Lin.
The quartet gets its name from Antoine Balourdet, chef extraordinaire at the Hotel St. Bernard and beloved member of the Taos School of Music community.